In 2012 there were a total of 341 Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fights spread out across 31 events and 14 pay-per-view events. It’s incredibly popular with young men in the 20’s and UFC PPV events regularly draw 350,00-450,000 buys.
With so much hype and excitement surrounding the sport, a lot of sports betting affiliates are apprehensive about promoting MMA betting because they don’t really understand the sport. If you fall into this category, here’s a few things you should know about the UFC and mixed martial arts in general.
UFC Fighting is the Real Deal
The first thing to know about the UFC is that, unlike professional wrestling, everything you see in the octagon is real. These fighters are serious athletes and are usually proficient in several different, very complicate, fighting styles.
All that athleticism doesn’t mean that the UFC is devoid of personality and storylines. MMA fighters are a unique group who generate plenty of news (and content), even when they’re not fighting.
Key Demographics
For sports betting affiliates, the UFC can be an in-road to some pretty desirable demographic groups. According to a recent survey, a full 67.4% of males between 18-34 identify themselves as fans of the sport.
UFC fans aren’t just young, they’re also flush with cash. The sports research firm Scarborough Sports Marketing recently found that MMA fans are a 15% more likely to be making $75,000 or more annually.
Devoted Fans
Not only are UFC fans drawn from very desirable demographics, they’re also extremely devoted to the sport and active on social media. Hashtags like #ufc and #mma buzz all day, every day, with UFC gossip, predictions and smack talk.
These guys, and a few women, know their stuff and aren’t shy about sharing their opinions.
Because the MMA fanbase is so knowledgeable, sports affiliates will want to find writers and guest bloggers who really know their stuff. Even casual UFC fans are pretty knowledgeable, so quality content is a key to promoting this sport.
Promoting the UFC
One challenge with promoting the UFC is that there’s plenty of competition for players already. This doesn’t mean that affiliates should bypass the sport entirely. High quality UFC content, or guest blogs, can draw plenty of traffic and are the perfect platform for cross-promoting other sports like the NFL and NCAA basketball.
In short, the UFC isn’t a betting market you can crack right away, but with high value content and time, you can build an audience and start converting players.
What are your experiences promoting UFC betting? Share your experiences in the comments section below.